Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

A Republican who lost two past bids for Congress in northeast Wisconsin is playing a part — albeit an informal one — in a closely watched GOP primary there.

John Gard, the influential lobbyist and former state Assembly speaker, and a close friend of Gard have worked on behalf of GOP primary candidate and former Marine Mike Gallagher and against his opponent, state Sen. Frank Lasee (R-De Pere), whose legislative stances on unions conflict with those of Gard's union client.

Gard lobbied on behalf of heavy equipment operators and in favor of the so-called prevailing wage, a system of minimum pay for workers on state construction projects that was sharply scaled back under a proposal by Lasee.

Since then, Gard has served briefly as a spokesman for the Gallagher campaign and helped give advice and raise money in the 8th Congressional District race. A close friend of Gard's also has joined a pro-Gallagher super PAC.

But Gard said that has nothing to do with why he's helping Gallagher, a young former Marine whose family has been close to Gard and his wife for decades.

"I'm not anti-Frank, I'm pro-Mike," Gard said of Gallagher, comparing him to a young Paul Ryan. "He's a lot better candidate than I was and I think he has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader not just in Wisconsin but for the nation over time."

Republican incumbent Reid Ribble is not seeking re-election.

Lasee is a senator and former assemblyman. Gallagher, a first-time candidate, is a specialist in intelligence and national security who served two tours of duty in Iraq, reached the rank of captain, and then worked as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) on the Committee on Foreign Relations and as an adviser to Gov. Scott Walker's unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Midwest Growth PAC, formed on May 19, says on its website that it is "supporting Mike Gallagher for Congress." Its treasurer is listed as Bruce Barrette, a retired dentist who is a longtime friend and contributor since 1993 to Gard's past campaigns for the Assembly and Congress.

Gard said he's not involved in the super PAC and that he didn't ask Barrette to get involved in the group or discuss it with him.

"We're very good friends," Gard said of Barrette. "I just haven't talked to him in a while."

Barrette didn't respond to phone calls requesting comment. He resigned in 2006 from a state dentistry board after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported he led that board in voting for a proposal seen as favoring a national dentistry group for which Barrette also served as a director.

A Midwest Growth statement said the group "welcomes any and all supporters" who oppose the Democratic candidate in the race, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.

Gard, who lost 8th District bids in the Democratic wave years of 2006 and 2008, said he had encouraged associates to give to Gallagher's campaign but had not asked clients at the Operating Engineers Local 139 to do so.

"I wouldn't put them in that position," Gard said.

The union's business manager, Terry McGowan, said Gard has asked him to meet with Gallagher and that he's willing to do so. McGowan said his union hasn't decided whether to endorse in the election and noted that at least one union has already backed Nelson.

McGowan said he would consider talking with Lasee if the GOP lawmaker reaches out to him, but said wryly that he didn't think that was likely. Lasee has instead touted his key role in pushing through the partial prevailing wage repeal that was vehemently opposed by the Operating Engineers.

That debate — and Gard's role in it — divided some Republicans.

Jared Bombaci, Gallagher's campaign manager and another former Marine, said Gallagher opposed the prevailing wage but welcomed Gard's support.

"In the end, this is going to be a major race and a challenging race," he said.

In a statement, Lasee's campaign manager, Adam Gibbs, said that Gallagher's time in Washington, D.C., and ties to Gard raised questions.

"We are seeing classic insider politics coming from someone professing to be an outsider to the process," Gibbs said.

But Gallagher still needs to build his name recognition among voters. To do it, he launched a television ad this week in the Green Bay market along with a radio ad, for a total air buy this week valued at more than $60,000 by one source.

"We definitely want to get Mike's positive message out there as much as possible," Bombaci said.